Environment Roundtable: Joseph Martens

Q: What is your top environmental priority currently?

JM: Climate change is having an impact on our weather, and over the past several years many communities have been impacted by devastating storms. New York is rebuilding smarter and stronger, and DEC is working with federal, state and local partners to increase our resiliency and strengthen our storm defenses to protect communities, businesses, farms and homes.

As part of [these] efforts, we are addressing sea level rise associated with climate change, which can increase the risks for severe storms and beach erosion. We are also involved in numerous projects that will strengthen New York’s infrastructure to better withstand storms and limit storm damages.

New York is also collaborating with others states through the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) to reduce carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to climate change. A new lower emissions cap was implemented this past year, and we continue to make investments to increase energy efficiency and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.

Q: The new state budget adds $9 million to the Environmental Protection Fund, bringing it to $162 million. What will the money be used for?

JM: For more than 20 years the EPF has provided critical funding for vital environmental projects, including open space protection, solid waste management, pollution prevention and stewardship. Gov. Cuomo and the State Legislature have demonstrated their support of the EPF by increasing funding for various programs in this year’s EPF, including increased public access to public lands, resiliency reforestation and planting to create stream and coastal storm buffers, agriculture waste management, urban forestry and water quality improvements in Suffolk County to reduce nitrogen loading that affects our waterways.

We look forward to continuing to work with communities and various partners on EPF projects to create a cleaner, healthier environment.

Q: There have been growing concerns about the crude oil shipped through Albany. What is the DEC doing to ensure that the shipments are safe?

JM: The safety of all New Yorkers is our highest priority. Under the direction of Gov. Cuomo we are working closely with our sister agencies at the state and federal levels to closely review all issues related to crude transportation and storage in New York.

The Cuomo administration has taken a series of actions to safeguard New York’s residents, communities, waterways and lands from potential serious incidents involving the increased shipment of volatile crude oil by rail or vessel in the state. Under Executive Order 125, issued in January, the governor directed a comprehensive assessment of safety procedures and emergency response preparedness related to the shipment of crude oil. New York is also urging the federal government to revise design specifications and expedite the phase out of older, unsafe rail cars, implement more stringent standards to test crude oil, and review the routing of crude oil to ensure the most appropriate routes. The state is also implementing an aggressive enforcement and inspection effort to prevent train derailments.

No other state in the nation has been as aggressive in pursuing action that will help to ensure the public and our environment are protected from accidents related to the transport of crude oil. We will continue to be vigilant in our efforts to protect public safety, public health and our environment.